Another in the emerging 'Meta-Mystery' go-to genre, with a sweet, cozy aspect that compliments Mack's sparky, witty repartee.

El is a whirlwind bestselling mystery author... that hasn't come by it honestly. Embroiled in a blackmail plot and international crime, she finds herself on a book tour in Italy, contemplating losing her sister, ending her career, and possibly losing her life.

As she routinely breaks the fourth wall to talk to, and sometimes coach us, her readers, we find that sometimes the facts can be deceiving... and that second chances can be a double-edged sword.

Ultimately, it is a very satisfying read that does its best to make it CLEAR whodunit.

My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an ARC of this debut novel.

The first of a planned series featuring mystery writer, intrepid traveller, and unwitting sleuth Eleanor Dash, this book exemplifies the protagonist’s name. It is indeed a madcap dash through a series of episodes featuring a large principal cast of characters (mystery authors) and a fair-sized secondary cast.

The premise is that Eleanor Dash, author of nine mysteries set in nine vacation spots, is back where it all started with her first book, set in Rome. The Roman mystery involved a bank heist and a famous Mafia family, and its hero, Connor Smith, proved so popular that he became the series star. In fact, Smith is the real name of a real person, a wily, unscrupulous and utterly charming man who, in real life, was Eleanor’s lover. The supposed foiling of the Mafia plans actually happened, with his involvement as a ´police consultant.’ Eleanor was drawn into the affair, and was inspired to write a bestselling fictionalized version of what really went down.

Ten years later, the real relationship long since ended, with much bad feeling left behind, the fictional Connor Smith still stars in every one of her books because her fans can’t get enough of him and her publishing house won’t let her kill him off. And the real Connor has something on her that makes her great desire to be rid of him (in her books though occasionally in real life) a questionable move.

In Rome, on tour with a number of other mystery writers connected to Connor, who seems to have swindled each of them, it appears that someone really is trying to kill him. Everyone has a motive, including Eleanor, and even the adoring female fans who won a contest to go along. A murder or attempted murder takes place everywhere they go. It’s hard even to decide if Connor or Eleanor, or both, or one of the group are the targets. And whose side are the Roman police on?

Eleanor Dash is the classic unreliable narrator, underscoring the point by reminding readers that she is a practiced liar. She is also at once a possible murder target and a possible murderer—maybe even a serial killer. She is definitely a victim of Connor’s schemes. And she ostensibly tells this story while trying to solve the mystery and set right her past errors. She also speaks directly to the readers, calling on their participation, a device I liked rather less. But I can’t imagine any reader resisting.

The author has a fast-paced, often uproariously humorous, style. Her footnotes alone, really asides, are hilarious. The twists and turns are breathtaking. I’m very much looking forward to the next installation!

When I got back into reading, I was looking for mystery /thriller books. I knew that I loved crime shows that also had humor, so I was looking for the same thing in books. This proved to be a hard feat. I have stumbled across a handful but I can honestly say that Catherine Mack is now on my list.

I truly enjoyed every bit of this book. This is the first time I’ve read a book (for entertainment) that had footnotes and I loved every single one. The way Eleanor was written, she practically had two stories going on at the same time (how she interacts with the characters and her internal thoughts) and I personally related to that because I can be talking to someone and have an internal dialogue about the same thing but with more humor or maybe it wasn’t an appropriate thing to say aloud.😂 That’s the vibe I got from Eleanor. I hope in the next book (which I am so ready for) she gives herself more grace.

As for the rest of the characters, I enjoyed them all with the exception of Conner. He deserved everything he got. The clues are in your face but I promise, you will not know until the very end who did it!

Thank you NetGalley for this awesome read. I received the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I just finished the above book. It started off very well. In fact I believed at first this was the 10th book! However, and it’s a big however…I do not know what “state” the written book is in at this time. I found the footnotes which were to be humorous misplaced by being at the far end of chapter. In fact I could hardly follow them that way.

The story in the end came together, but I found myself after page 50 wondering where it was going and a bit repetitive regarding the sisters.

I enjoyed the humor but again the flow of the story was bogged down by the story which had an issue rolling out.

With a good editor I would definitely recommend this book. At this point it was okay but definitely not up to the hype I would hope it will have when finalized.

This was the most fun I’ve had reading in a long time! I fell in love with our main character El - she’s sarcastic and funny and breaks the fourth wall in such a way it feels like you’re watching this like a movie while you read it.

And THE ENDING?! 😳

We still have 6 months before this publishes but I’m already itching for Book 2! Catherine Mack, you can just send it straight to me when it’s ready, thanks fellow Swiftie! 🫶

Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies publishes April 30, 2024. Go ahead and pre-order it so we can talk about it!

Thank you to Catherine Mack, Minotaur and NetGalley for an early copy! I’ll be first in line for the next one!

Author Eleanor Dash just wants to get through a book tour in Italy--torture, I know, right? But when you're stuck with a group full of people who may or may not want to kill you, it takes on a different perspective. Toying with the idea of killing off one of her main characters, Connor, from her wildly popular novels, Eleanor realizes the real-life Connor (also on the tour) might not go so quietly. Always looking over her shoulder, Eleanor must use the expertise she's gathered from writing her own mystery to save her own life.

This book was compelling, irreverent, and laugh out loud funny. Mack's voice was unexpected, breaking the fourth wall often and urging us to try and solve the case ourselves. I loved the Italian setting, and it made me want to book my own ticket (though not for July).

My only complaint was the footnotes--they were funny, but I hate the logistics of reading footnotes on a Kindle. Maybe this is a me problem, though. Can't wait to see the next installment in the series!

Vacation, sun and attempted murder? If you enjoy all three, then Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is a book for you!
It has humor along the way and is a great beach read!
Not a big fan of the footnotes, but can see the added fun to them.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a decent, quick read. A beach read with Clue vibes. I really enjoyed the interspersed "outlines" and other primary source type articles.
The use of footnotes was really unique & interesting at first but I stopped reading them about 1/3 through.

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is a fast-paced, super fun, humorous mystery. Bestselling author Eleanor Dash finds herself celebrating her soon-to-be 10th book on a booktour in Italy filled with diehard fans, other authors, and her main character, Connor, who she is secretly plotting to kill off in that 10th book. However, someone on the tour soon attempts to kill the real Connor, and now everyone is a suspect. Is Connor the only target? Who would want Connor dead (other than everyone!)? Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is laugh out loud funny and filled with a fantastic cast of characters. The epilogue hints at a sequel, and I cannot wait! If you're looking for a light and funny mystery, I highly recommend this book!

Very light, fun read! There are a lot of characters to keep in line, as the storyline is set on a author book tour through Italy. It was a lot to keep track of, as there is a lot of shared history between these characters. It took me a bit to remember who was the ex wife/ the girlfriend/the ex lover, etc.

It definitely has the hijinks and humor of a Finlay Donovan book, so if you like those (and who doesn’t!) you’ll probably be a big fan of this one also. This was one of those books I liked more as the story progressed, and I liked the wrap up and reveal. There are quite a few footnotes, which I admittedly skimmed. They weren’t for me, but I wouldn’t say they detracted from my reading experience.

Overall a good read, the epilogue promises a sequel and that’s exciting!

Thanks to Catherine Mack, Minotaur Books and St Martins Press for this advance copy!

This book sounded right up my alley but unfortunately it was a miss for me. I disliked all the characters, especially our heroine. The footnotes were fun at the beginning but became tedious and I stopped reading them halfway through the book.

The food and location descriptions were great.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own. Thank you, St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books.

Marvelous new series by Catherine Mack! Within the first few pages, my attention was caught as the story started to unfold from the main character’s point of view. Chapter by chapter details slowly unfold providing a glimpse into the mind of a mystery writer attempting to determine who would want them dead. The storyline kept me guessing despite the numerous clues and the insight into the writers process was entertaining as well as enlightening. I’m looking forward to the next installment and secretly hope Connor reaps the rewards of his personality.

What a fun book! A light and humorous, whodunit set in beautiful Italy that will keep you guessing until the very end. I loved how the author used Eleanor's character to interact with the reader. I felt like I was part of the story and experiencing everything firsthand alongside of her. Eleanor gave me major Stephanie Plum vibes with her quick wit and silly personality. This is one of the highest of compliments, as she is one of my favorite fictional characters. The only thing I did not like about this book was the footnotes. Sorry!! It was very hard to follow along with them on my Kindle, as they didn't show up until the end of each chapter. I know that it was stated that this might happen in the note from the publisher. It was frustrating at first because I couldn't remember what each one referenced, and then it became a chore trying to go back and figure it all out. About 10% into the book, I realized that I could click on the footnote icon, and it would take me directly to it. This worked for most of them, but sometimes there were double or triple footnotes together and when I clicked on the icon, I was only shown the last one. Very hard to navigate if you're reading an e-book. I felt like I spent more time clicking then reading. While I did enjoy the concept of the notes and what they said, I would have preferred these quips and asides to be presented in the actual writing. Maybe in italics or something else that would differentiate them from the actual dialogue or narration. Despite the footnotes, I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next one. I highly recommend it, but in print copy to better navigate the footnotes.

Thank you to the author, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for granting me digital access in exchange for my honest review!

A very cute modern cozy. Eleanor is kind of a lot to take at times and I can't say I ever felt sorry for her travails but she won me over anyway. She knows she's been messy and needs to do better so that went a long way. Both her former love interests were pretty well done. I liked sister, Hayley and wished she had more characterization. The remaining cast was well done and worked really well.

The mystery was good and red herrings abound which made for a fun puzzle to solve. The reader couldn't deduce all of the How because that information isn't fully offered until the big reveal but the Who and broadly Why are there (both the Who and Why is multifaceted). There was enough to satisfy the puzzle-solver in me. I figured out some of what was going on but I read a lot of mysteries. Always take note of what isn't getting attention but is odd. What's said and uncommented upon and what isn't being acknowledged at all. That's where the answers are in the blizzard of everything else happening around the characters.

More thoughts:

Eleanor and Hayley had a Party of Five (show from the 90s) origin story that I literally had to read twice. That gave me a giggle (the orphaned by a drunk driver part notwithstanding) and made me feel old.

There are some funny jibes at Goodreads from authors' perspectives. Calling it "MeanReads" made me laugh and there was a musing on how Agatha Christie would contend with one-star reviewers of her works.

The footnotes... there are many and do work on some level. I don't know that I enjoy flipping back and forth so much as the flow of story is a bit broken but a lot of it was genuinely witty.

Characters being described like someone did a Dream Cast board is not my thing when I read but others may love that.

In the arc i received the title of Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was misspelled. I'm sure this will be corrected by pub date.

A few too many "of the moment" references for me but they were the sort that either you know and agree so adorbs or you understand, don't care and can move on quickly enough (I'm of the latter category).

I'm not usually one for an epilogue but here it worked, especially for a next book set up.
I don't know if the book the main character teases is really going to be the next book here but I would absolutely read No One Was Supposed to Doie at this Wedding.

Recommended. It was fun and a neat addition to the landscape of cozy mysteries.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the Adavance Reader's Copy.

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me.

I know that lots of folks really enjoyed this book, but I'm not one of them. I just found too many things to be annoyed at, including the massive usage of footnotes and the annoying (to me) main character. The main plot was interesting and somewhat convoluted, and there was an abundance of humor. It just, as a whole, did not work for me.

If you love the game “Clue” or even the Clue movie this is definitely the book for you! Eleanor is a crime author who used real life inspiration to write her first bestseller and now finds herself involved in a murder plot- but the only suspects are traveling along with her!
This is zany and witty- a perfect summer beach read with a really original format. You almost feel like you’re the one solving the mystery! My only critique is the use of footnotes in every single chapter. It’s quite difficult to keep flipping back and forth to read them and it really pulls you away from the story- but they’re easy enough to skip.
Thanks to St. Martins/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This felt like a "real life" version of the board game Clue! (I put real in quotations because, welp, its still a fiction book). But, I LOVED THIS BOOK. Seriously!!! It had me giggling, intrigued, struggling to figure out who the heck was the killer, I loved the usage of footnotes. It felt like such an original format on your typical "whodunnit murder". I was so immersed in this book and I seriously loved it so much. I loved the scenery, the food, the drinks, all of the characters! Also, there are references to Taylor Swift, Agatha Christie and some other things that I loved as well.

Speaking of footnotes, I read this on a kindle and I thought that worked seamlessly as you can click on the Footnote and it pops up on the screen. I am not sure how this would work via a physical book so I am only speaking about my experience via ebook. :)

This book does not release until April 30, 2024 and I feel like that is the perfect time. It is going to be a perfect addition for spring / summer reads.

Quick synopsis:

Ten days, eight suspects, six cities, five authors, three bodies . . . one trip to die for.

All that bestselling author Eleanor Dash wants is to get through her book tour in Italy and kill off her main character, Connor Smith, in the next in her Vacation Mysteries series―is that too much to ask?
Thank you Netgalley for an ARC for my honest review!

Quirky, fun read. I did not anticipate the twists and turns in the plot . Will be looking for future books by this author.

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is a debut mystery that turns out to be as interesting as its title. This well-constructed tale delivers on its clever premise while introducing a female protagonist with a wry, self-deprecating voice that is fresh and funny.

Eleanor Dash is a successful mystery writer who is in Italy for a book tour promoting her latest book. It is the 10th in a series set in different countries featuring the adventures of Cecelia Crain and Connor Smith. Her first book, When in Rome, is based on an experience that Eleanor had with the actual Connor Smith, an investigative consultant, who Eleanor met in Italy, fell in love with (not knowing he was married) and partnered with to solve a series of high profile robberies.

Eleanor and the real Connor broke up years ago but the fictional Connor was a hit with readers and continues to play a major role in her Vacation Mystery series. For some very good reasons, Eleanor has had it with Connor, though, and is ready to kill off his fictional character. However, when Connor joins her on her book tour, he tells her that someone is trying to kill him in real life and asks for her help in figuring out who it is.

Also on the book tour in Italy are Eleanor’s sister and personal assistant, Harper; her ex, Oliver, another mystery writer; Allison, Connor’s ex-wife; Isabella, Connor’s latest girlfriend; and three other authors, Emily, Guy and Shek. Everyone is hiding something—including Eleanor—so when attempts also start to be made on Eleanor’s life, suspects abound.

The story has an easy-to-read conversational tone, with Eleanor as the narrator throughout. The reader is given amusing insight into Eleanor’s thoughts and personality through the skillful use of some very funny footnotes, which often speak directly to the reader).

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is very readable, highly entertaining debut by Catherine Mack. It will be interesting to see what happens next in the promised sequel!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the ARC.

A delightful series debut, Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is a fast-paced mystery that has a unique blend of mystery, humor, and intrigue. Bestselling author Eleanor Dash just wants a smooth book tour in Italy and the chance to bid farewell to her fictional creation, Connor Smith who as it turns out is based on the handsome but infuriating con man she got mixed up with ten years ago and now cannot get out of her life. When an attempt is made on the real Connor’s life, Eleanor is enlisted to help solve the case.

Navigating through the challenges of literary adversaries, zealous fans, a persistent stalker, and the unforeseen arrival of her ex, Eleanor finds herself in a web of theories, exposing rivalries and strained relationships. The pressing question remains: who is the true culprit attempting to escape the clutches of murder?
The title grabs your attention while the plot will have you flipping the pages of this entertaining and cleverly crafted mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and author Catherine Mack for the advance read copy of this book.